


The Stubborn Fairy's Puppy Love

by blowingdriftingbubbles



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arranged Marriage, Enemies to Lovers, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Kinda, Kyoutani has dog ears and tail, Kyoutani is a cinnamon roll, Kyoutani is a dog, M/M, Minor cursing included, Prince kyoutani, Prince yahaba, Yahaba is a fairy, Yahaba is a flower boy, like always, not literally but y'know, prince - Freeform, well only when he wants to of course, yahaba is a stubborn ass fairy that needs to get his shit together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 16:32:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7230139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blowingdriftingbubbles/pseuds/blowingdriftingbubbles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yahaba wasn’t going to marry the Dog Kingdom’s prince. They didn't know each other, and as far as he knew, the Perauf Kingdom was the rudest Kingdom around. He definitely wasn't going to cave in to such absurd ideas. </p><p>Except it wasn't his choice to make. </p><p>AKA Arranged Marriage Fantasy AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [My favourite Socksquad](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=My+favourite+Socksquad).



> Been planning and writing this for really long now, and I'm finally ready to present to you the first chapter! 
> 
> Enjoy~~ ୧( ˵ ° ~ ° ˵ )୨

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No, Father, I will NOT marry some stupid dog that I don’t even know!”

“No, Father, I will NOT marry some stupid dog that I don’t even know!”

 

Yahaba’s words echoed through the King’s study, startling the servants hidden in the shadows of the room, but Yahaba didn’t care. The well-being of the people around him was the last thing on his mind. He needed to get out of this situation.

 

He wasn’t going to marry the Dog Kingdom’s  _ prince _ . They couldn’t even offer a  _ princess, _ what a joke. Not that it mattered much, he wasn’t going to cave in to such an absurd request, prince or princess alike. 

 

“Look,” the King sighed, and Yahaba noted that he didn’t try to correct the way he addressed his  _ ‘fiance’ _ like he usually would. “I know the Perauf Kingdom doesn’t have the best of reputations, but they are a neighbouring Kingdom. If you marry their son, there won’t be wars between our kingdom anymore, it will be safer, and the people will learn to respect each other better.”

 

“Respect? You think the fucking  _ dogs _ will respect us faries? What a joke!” Yahaba spat, seething. He had seen how they treated others, the despise and mockery in their eyes. Belittling. Scornful.  

 

The Perauf Kingdom was, to say the least, rowdy. The truth? The people were rude, ruthless, and believed firmly in their power hierarchy, respecting those they deemed powerful, and belittling those that they didn’t. Always mocking others and jeering at their misfortune, the people were not pleasant at all. They were the worst.

 

“Mind your language, Shigeru. You’re the crown prince, and I will hear no such crude words coming from your mouth. The Perauf King has already agreed to marry their youngest son over to our kingdom, and you will show them the respect that they deserve, nothing less.”

 

That marked the end of the discussion, and with a wave of his hand, Yahaba was sent out of the King’s study. 

 

Not like he wanted to stay there anyways. 

 

He sighed, and watched as his breath formed tiny flowers that fell to ground, promptly disappearing from sight. 

 

The magic he had wasn’t much as compared to the King; it was still developing, and he was still learning to control it. However, little things like sprinkling flowers from thin air were a piece of cake for him, almost second nature to him whenever he felt the need to see something that reminded him of the scenery outside the palace. 

 

_ Inhale. Exhale.  _  More petals floated around his face, spiraling down, then fading into nothing. Feeling slightly better, he strolled out of the Kingdom, waving quickly to the guards on duty, signalling his leave.

 

The Althien Kingdom was a sight to behold. Spring was always one of Yahaba’s favourite seasons, with the Sakura trees blooming one by one, scattering pink flowers all over the ground. Birds chirped, small animals came out to play among the tall grass, couples under the trees watching the falling blossom as they whisper sweet nothings to each other. He loved sending magic to the passing wind, allowing  the falling flowers to dance around passersby, watching children dance around happily with the flowers.

 

Walking around the village,, he observed the the hustle and bustle of the marketers, indulging in the cheerful atmosphere of the children’s laughter, and hoped it would cheer up his troubled heart.

 

~*~*~

 

A month later, they got married. 

 

Perauf had two princes. Kyoutani Kaito, the older, crown prince and Kyoutani Kentarou, the one he was betrothed to. Since the older son was the crown prince, only their second son could marry Yahaba, or so they said. 

 

The wedding was surprisingly a humble affair. It could barely be counted as a wedding, for all they did was sign their wedding papers. Yahaba barely even looked at his “husband”, much less spoke. Couldn’t bother to. Kyoutani tried starting a conversation or two, but Yahaba brushed him off, and he gave up eventually. The Kings shook hands begrudgingly to signify the peace treaty between the two countries as long as their two prince were together. And that was it.

 

No kiss, no dance, no cake. There was no celebration. They didn’t even get to know each other. 

 

_ Yahaba didn’t want to anyways. _

 

So much for a beautiful wedding with crystal chandeliers, flowers and lots of dancing.

 

~*~*~

 

Kyoutani didn’t want to get married. He didn’t want to do anything his father said. His father believed in power, and as far as the Perauf Kingdom was concerned, Kaito was the strongest, right after their father. Kyoutani was the weakest of them all, his powers at the bare minimal, and it was reflected in his authority over people. Thus, it was decided that he would be the sacrificial lamb — or dog — to the Althien Kingdom and marry their only prince, Yahaba Shigeru. “For peace,” his father had stated plainly, “so we can waste lesser resources fighting them and aim for the other weaker kingdoms.”

 

Kyoutani didn’t like that idea one bit. 

 

_ “Kentarou, as far as this kingdom is concerned, you’re useless.” Kyoutani flinched at the King’s cruel words. “You have no power, no authority, no viciousness. You can’t do anything here. Go be nice to Althien’s crown prince, play family with them and make them like you. Make us proud of having you as a Perauf-born prince. We will gain many benefits from your sacrifice.” _

 

Kyoutani groaned as he remembered the King’s words. Sure, he wasn’t ruthless like most of the Peraufians, but that didn’t mean he could  _ play nice. _ And it was his father who had said that, to boot. His newly-wed husband clearly wasn’t making it any easier. Other than dinner, which the Althein’s King insisted they ate together every day, Kyoutani never saw Yahaba. In fact, he was sure that the man avoided him. Yahaba proclaimed that they were too much of strangers to share a room, yet he never made the effort to get to know Kyoutani or to even make eye contact, much less talk. Their new relationship was but a title. 

 

Kyoutani tried many things; he made breakfast for Yahaba (much to the kitchen staff’s disbelief), bought a bouquet of roses (much to the servants’ surprise) , and even made a flower crown (much to Oikawa’s amusement). None of them got through to Yahaba. 

 

Kyoutani decided to make his last effort. 

 

Over dinner, he made small talk with the King, talking about the festivals that Althien celebrated, and the coming change of the season. 

 

“Yahaba-san, would you have some time to spare tomorrow? I was hoping that you would be able to show me around the village,” Kyoutani asked suddenly, glancing at Yahaba. Yahaba barely gave a reaction, continuing with his meal. 

 

“ _ Shigeru _ ,” the King hissed.

 

Yahaba sighed, and placed his cutleries down on the table.

 

“I’ll be busy with work tomorrow.”

 

“Haven’t you already finished whatever you need to do for the week?” the King asked.

 

The scuffing of the chair was the only answer, as Yahaba stood up, still not looking at Kyoutani. “I’m tired, so I’ll be taking my leave. Enjoy your meal.”

 

“ _ Shigeru! _ ” the King snapped, but the retreating shadow of the crowned prince was the only answer. 

 

“I must apologise for my son. He is still immature in many ways, and I hope you can grow to understand and hopefully correct his stupid ways.”

 

Kyoutani exhaled softly. “I will try my best, Your Majesty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AKA Yahaba is a mean shit who believes in whatever stereotypes he hears
> 
> Give me a prompt on [my writing tumblr blog](blowingdriftingbubbles.tumblr.com/ask)  
> or hmu on [my main blog](bunnydesuuu.tumblr.com)  
> I’m also on [twitter](bunnydesuuu.tumblr.com)


	2. Sunset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoutani explores Althien without Yahaba

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear that no matter how bitchy Yahaba may have sounded (especially chapter 1), he has a reason for it. So don't hate him too much!
> 
> A little history of Kyoutani life before marriage revealed in this chapter, as well as Prince Yahaba from the perspective of the village children. Also introduced new characters heehee (young karasuno kiddos yes)
> 
> After three months of not updating, I thank everyone who still stayed and read this! Thank you very much for the support!!!! .(ಥ△ಥ)/ Exam period was a torture but it's over now. I have one more in November, but I would probably be able to update one more time before then :) Stay tuned!
> 
>  
> 
> EDIT: Beta-ed now so there are lesser grammar mistakes or typos. Probably. XD

The next morning, Kyoutani wrote a quick note informing on his whereabouts, left it on his dressing table, and set off to the village. 

 

The Althien Kingdom was a really beautiful place. Kyoutani didn’t need to get out of the palace to know that, but the village only affirmed his  thoughts . Colourful flowers and leaves decorated the trees, and boisterous laughter could be heard as he walked down the street, as if trying to cheer him up. It was vastly different from when he was back at Perauf, stuck in the palace. As a child, he had looked out the only window in his gigantic room every day, admiring the Peraufians strolling past, watching the scenery change everyday, wishing,  _ dreaming _ that he could be like them; walking down the same pathway, breathing in the fresh air, surrounded by other children, playing catch together. 

 

Peraufians tended to be more guarded against others as they aged, something Kyoutani had realised from his observations by his window as he grew up. They became more aware of the different statuses of people that depended on their powers, and only mingled with those of similar ranks. He remembered the group of children he used to play with back when he had been ten, how they soon went their separate ways shortly after he had been pulled away from them due to his royal blood. Perhaps it had been their parents, or awareness of their developing powers that were eminently stronger than the others, that brought about the end of their happy times together. After all, almost everyone in Perauf firmly believed that the strength of their powers determined their authority, value and  class . Because of that, Kyoutani soon realised that his carefree days were but a distant dream, and gave up begging the King to let him leave the palace. 

 

After ten years of exploring the same palace grounds, the change of scenery was very much appreciated, despite the circumstances that he was in. Nobody took notice of him, which was a relief after the constant stares back in the palace as everyone tried to size him up. It was a little lonely, he had to admit, with neither his only friend Iwaizumi – who was in Perauf – nor the fairy prince with him, but the friendly atmosphere made up for most of it. So he enjoyed his peaceful stroll, watching children running after each other in a game of tag or hide and seek, mothers holding the hands of toddlers as they shopped, and hawkers selling their food and trinkets.

 

A low groan on his right stopped him in his tracks. In a small alley leading to the street Kyoutani was walking on was a grey-haired man, probably in his late fifties. Hunched over, a large sack was slung over his back and another lay by his feet. He was staring at the sack on the ground, muttering incomprehensibly to himself. Curious, Kyoutani walked over. 

 

“Do you need some help with those?”

 

The old man smiled.

 

~*~*~

 

“How great must it be to be young, eh, young man? You’re a strong one, you are, carrying two sacks of flour! You ain’t even breaking a sweat!” the old man exclaimed cheerfully, as he led Kyoutani, who had the two sacks in his arms, to the former’s home, which turned out to be a small bakery at the end of the street. 

 

Kyoutani smiled, and wondered how he should explain his strength to the old man. But before he could, a group of children around the age of nine came pouncing out, distracting him from his thoughts. 

 

“The flour is here! The flour is here! Grandpa’s back! It’s time to play!”

 

The old man watched the children run past him to the field and snorted, muttering lightly under his breath. Kyoutani was sure he heard him say “ungrateful brats” and turned away to muffle his own chuckles in his shoulder. 

 

“Old hag, we brought back the flour! I’m getting old, and this young man here carried them for me. Come serve some fresh bread for him, will ya!” The old man walked into the bakery, looking around for his wife until he spotted her behind the cashier, sorting out the notes in the cash box. Upon hearing his shout, she looked up and growled.

 

“Tsk. Who’re ya calling an old hag, you stupid old man who can’t even carry two simple bags of flour!” She glanced at the entrance where Kyoutani stood and beamed, waving her hands to ask him to come in while smacking her husband forcefully on the arm. “Hello, young man! Thank you for helping this useless old geezer here with his work. I’m Saeko, what’s your name?” 

 

“I’m Kyoutani. It was no problem at all, don’t worry about it.” Kyoutani bowed, introducing himself.

 

“Now, now, don’t need to be polite with us here. Just grab any bread that you like in the store; take it as a repayment for helping us with the flour.” The lady grinned and patted him lightly on the arm before dragging the old man into the kitchen by his ear, with him whining in pain all the way. 

 

Feeling awkward being alone in the unfamiliar bakery, Kyoutani grabbed the nearest sandwich on display and went out to the field. He took a bite of the sandwich, and was surprised to find the bread to be soft and sweet, the chicken pieces inside moist and tender. The vegetables didn’t lose out either, with the lettuce green and crunchy, and the olives ripened and oozing with flavour, topped off with melted cheese.  _ Mhmm, it was perfect. _

 

“Blond Onii-san! Come play with us!” Kyoutani looked up from his food, only to see the same group of children that had run past him earlier beckoning him over. They were sitting in a circle around patches of wildflowers, an open gap in the circle left for him to join. He did as he was told.

 

“Look Onii-san, Ryuu-kun can make a flower crown with his magic. Isn’t that cool!” 

 

Taken aback, Kyoutani watched as the bald boy with a missing front tooth took a handful of the flowers in one hand, then covered it with his other. Glittering light started appearing around his hand until it became brighter and brighter, forming a large circle. After a few minutes of anticipation and held breaths, the glow faded. In his palm lay a cute flower crown, which had replaced the flowers in his hand previously. The flowers on the crown had alternating colours, forming an interesting pattern. Cheers erupted around the circle as all the children stared with astonishment. 

 

“Amazing… How did you do that?” Kyoutani couldn’t help but ask. 

 

Ryuu rubbed his nose sheepishly, embarrassed by the attention and all the praises directed at him. “I’m the oldest here, so my magic has started to develop already. ‘s taught by Kiyoko-sensei how to intertwine the flowers together with magic to make some gifts, ya know? Here, you can have it.” Ryuu stood up on tiptoes and placed the crown on Kyoutani’s head, which earned him chorus of applause. 

 

“Wahhhh, so cool!” One of the children, an energetic redhead couldn’t help but exclaim. Kyoutani felt a faint blush travelling up his neck to his face. 

 

“You look really pretty with it…” one of the blonde girls mumbled. Her shoulder length hair was tied in a side ponytail with a star rubber band. “I’m already nine but my magic still won’t show… I’m a little worried.”

 

“Yaa-chan don’t worry, I’m sure you will gain your magic soon!” The freckled boy spoke up. 

 

Watching the children discuss their magic, Kyoutani got curious.  “Does everyone have magic powers here?” 

 

“Of course we all do,” the blond bespectacled boy finally spoke. “As fairies, we all have some amount of magic, which develops as we grow older, typically starting from the age of nine to ten. Once we reach fifteen, the strength of magic we have is fixed and will not develop any further. However, this does not apply to the Royal family. As citizens of Althien, this is basic knowledge. Are you new here?”

 

“Ah, um, yeah, I guess so,” Kyoutani stuttered. He regretted not trying to find out on such simple knowledge about his husband’s kingdom. How foolish. Now he just seemed like an ignorant outsider. “What do you mean it doesn’t apply to the Royal family?”

 

“Their magic development slows down by the age of fifteen, but will start increasing again around age nineteen in preparation for when they reach twenty one, when the crown prince is typically chosen and their training to be King starts. Although Prince Shigeru is already crown prince at age twenty since he has no brothers.”

 

At the mention of the crown prince, the children became very excited, enthusiastically talking about their own encounter with the fairy prince. 

 

“You know, Onii-chan, Prince Shigeru is reeeeeally cool! He always comes to the village to talk and play with us, and he also makes really pretty flowers float around in the air with his magic. Oh! He always help us when we’re in trouble, too! He is so nice, you know.”

 

“Yeah! There was once that lightning struck our control tower, and we had a blackout! Prince Shigeru went to each of our houses and restored every one of our lights and heater with his magic even though it was late at night! There were so many of us, he must have been tired… I wanna be like Prince Shigeru when I grow up!”

 

Kyoutani thought of the Yahaba he knew who had given him the cold shoulder the past week, trying to find the similarities between the man in his mind and the prince the children described, but found none. The prince he remembered was cold, unfriendly, and disagreeable, but the prince the children described was compassionate, helpful, soft-hearted, and a tad bit playful. The children, and the villagers too, loved and respected their prince dearly. At least, that’s what Kyoutani gathered from all their exclamations. Surely Yahaba was as they said, if they trusted him so much. The palace staff did, too, as Kyoutani remembered overhearing many of them gushing about him as they worked.  _ Perhaps Yahaba just hates me _ , he couldn’t help but wonder. 

 

~*~*~

 

The rest of the day went by easily, with the children talking about ‘Prince Shigeru’ and his magic with admiration, while Kyoutani listened intently to the stories about the man he clearly didn’t know. 

 

Before he knew it, the sun was setting, giving the field an orange glow, leaving Kyoutani with a warm fuzzy feeling inside. He had always loved sunsets. Sunrise too, really, back when he could afford to wake up early and sneak into his father’s office undiscovered to look through the windows there. He had been careful about it, but one unfaithful day had him caught, thus a lock had been installed on the door of that room, and he was never allowed to do that again. He learnt to be satisfied with the sunset from his room, the small changes of colours transforming over the vast canvas before him, a different hue and pattern everyday. In fact, he was so engrossed with watching the evening sky, that even with his heightened sense of hearing, he didn’t hear the approaching footsteps. 

 

“Kentarou.”

 

Just barely more than a whisper. A voice he recognised. 

 

A name?

 

He turned his head back, away from the scenery before him, eyes setting on the bottom of an intricately designed cloak, fluttering in the wind. Travelling up further, his eyes met the owner of the voice. The person who called a name.

 

He couldn’t remember the last time someone had called him by that name.

 

“Let’s go back, ok?”

 

A voice as tender as a caress on his cheeks. He didn’t have any recollection of having heard that before.

 

Pristine white slacks kneeled on the grassfield where he sat, and the sudden realisation of who it was hit the children around Kyoutani, if the exclamation of surprise and joy was of any indication, as they were all engulfed in one big hug. 

 

“I’ll be taking Kentarou Onii-chan back now, okay?”

 

_ There it is again.  _

 

“Ehhhhh, you know Onii-chan, Yahaba-sama? You’re both leaving? Stay with us and play,” the children whined.

 

“Next time, alright?” Yahaba chuckled, ruffling their hair before giving them a last tight squeeze, then standing up, dusting his knees lightly. 

 

“C’mon, Kentarou.”

 

A hand stuck out in front of him. 

 

Kyoutani barely remembered taking that hand. Barely remembered that hand pulling him up, then tugging him gingerly back to down the street back to the palace with a last wave goodbye. Barely remembered how he got back home, tucked snugly in Yahaba’s arms. In a daze, he didn’t remember any part of their journey back. 

 

Only one thing, he remembered.

 

The warm glow reflected in hazel brown eyes, wind tousled hair messily framing the tiniest hint of a smile tugging on the edge of his lips, a warm hand offered for him to take.

 

He remembered the voice calling his name. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter in Yahaba's POV. Probably.
> 
>   _Look at my bby all lovestruck already, kyou my dear of all things you notice, it's your name???_
> 
> Please leave a comment about anything~~ ~~even if you just want to scream. I will scream with you~~
> 
> As always:  
> Give me a prompt on [my writing tumblr blog](blowingdriftingbubbles.tumblr.com/ask)  
> or hmu on [my main blog](bunnydesuuu.tumblr.com)  
> I’m also on [twitter](bunnydesuuu.tumblr.com)
> 
> EDIT: I'm surprised that no one is asking about why Yahaba is randomly calling Kyoutani by his given name tho


	3. Before Sunset (Yahaba's POV)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically a little _before_ Chapter 2, from Yahaba's POV. 
> 
> He actually isn't an asshole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oikawa makes his appearance!! (also Yamaguchi, I feel like I'm making a precious setter squad here, god help me)
> 
> A little late, but still before end of October, as I promised? Definitely not delayed because I was reading other fanfics, then panicking that I haven't start revising on my major exam(still haven't). Nope. Definitely not. ˎ₍•ʚ•₎ˏ
> 
> Not beta-ed, really afraid of the intense grammar errors that are bound to be there.
> 
> EDIT: beta-ed by my no.1 FRIEND <3

_ Snip snip. _

 

_ Sigh. _

 

_ Snip snip. _

 

“You know, as much as you think it’s possible, abusing your rose bush isn’t going to help you think better  _ or _ get you out of this… predicament that you think you’re in,” Oikawa remarked casually, watching Yahaba trim more leaves off in an attempt to shape the bush into something more presentable. He could bet his whole month’s worth of milk bread that Yahaba was abusing his knowledge that this particular rose bush was overgrown to vent his frustration – by ripping it of its food-making leaves, he might like to add. He, on the other hand, was lounged casually in the garden’s hammock, sunglasses perched strategically on his head. Yahaba’s garden, and Yahaba’s hammock, but not like the Prince really cared, seeing as he was much more focused on mistreating that poor bush. 

 

Really, that rose bush had done nothing wrong except grow obnoxiously fast, which was a good thing, wasn’t it?

 

Yahaba ignored him, proceeding with his ministrations. He knew, as did Oikawa, that if anyone knew what they were doing, it was him. So what if he was doing that to vent? He wasn’t destroying his garden; he was the one maintaining it, after all. No point in washing his efforts down the drain. Plus, it was his duty to protect this garden.

 

“So? What happened this time? He’s been wooing you throughout this whole month that you’ve been ‘married’,” Oikawa gestured air quotes dramatically, proceeding to slide out of the hammock gracefully while winking suggestively at the maid in the corner, earning an embarrassed blush in return. “And despite his best efforts, you’ve been giving him the cold shoulder.” 

 

He strolled forward, draped his arm casually on Yahaba’s shoulder, leaning all his weight on him with a playful smirk. “No, no,” Oikawa cut in, when he saw Yahaba open his mouth to protest, “You can’t say he wasn’t trying. You jolly well know he was. Aaaaaad you also know you’re being a prick. Which you always are, just that he doesn’t know that, does he? So, you know, you’re not really playing fair, holding on to an unrelated grudge and not giving him a chance. Just saying.” Oikawa let out a chuckle, removing himself from Yahaba’s side. Skipping around his back till he was in front of him, Oikawa bent at his hip to look up at Yahaba with mock innocence, hands tucked behind his back. “Is there anything you want to tell your Onii-san, Shii-chan? Onii-san can help you solve anything!”

 

“Gross,” Yahaba finally answered, albeit with a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Stop pretending to be some trustworthy brother. First of all, you’re my cousin, not my brother. Second, you’re only a year older. With your lack of intelligence, I can kick your ass at horseriding anyday. Who would trust someone like you?”

 

“Well, I did pull a smile out of that grumpy face of yours, so I consider it my win. So, what gives?” Considering his job done, Oikawa settled in a seat under the pavilion, Yahaba trotting grudgingly after throwing a withering glance at the bush. 

 

“He invited me out to bring him on a tour around the village. I’m not a babysitter, you know? In fact, with the way he acts, I seriously doubt he’s even older than a twelve-year-old, except for his obvious build. Seriously, a flower crown? I’m not some twelve-year-old princess, okay?”

 

“You like romantic gestures like that, though.”

 

“Shut up, Tooru, I’m trying to make a point here.”

 

They lapsed into playful laughter after that, Yahaba’s lack of continuation taken to be an indication that he didn’t want to talk about it. Oikawa didn’t want to push, so he dropped it, allowing their conversation to be temporarily forgotten, enjoying the comfortable silence.

 

“Hey Oikawa, wanna come with me to look for Kyoutani?” 

 

“Ohh, Shii-chan finally gonna talk to the husband, eh?” Oikawa teased, grinning mischievously at him.    
  
“Shut up, let’s go.”

 

Yahaba headed to Kyoutani’s room, his cousin skipping along beside him. However, he hesitated at the door. 

 

_ What if Kyoutani was still angry about dinner? _

 

He quickly pushed those thoughts away and knocked on the door. 

 

Silence.

 

He knocked again.

 

Still no answer. 

 

“Huh, guess you angered mad dog chan already, Prince-san?” 

 

“I guess so,” Yahaba muttered, displeased.

 

Whatever. He could laze around the palace with Oikawa anyway. No need for another burden.

 

However, he subconsciously went to all the places he remembered seeing Kyoutani while he was strolling with Oikawa. It won’t be a surprise if Oikawa noticed, as perceptive as he was, but if he did, he said nothing. He even went past the kitchen, where he sometimes saw Kyoutani talking softly to the head chef there. He wasn’t there either.

 

Just as he was about to give up, a flustered boy – Yahaba’s maid, whose name Yahaba definitely couldn’t remember – came running over, bowing politely while panting in front of Yahaba. 

 

“What is it, Yamaguchi?” Count on Oikawa to remember names of everyone in the palace. 

 

“The King requests Prince Yahaba’s presence immediately, my Lord. It is in regards to Prince Kyoutani’s absence.” 

 

Yahaba couldn’t help but sigh, his face betraying his efforts to maintain his composure as he brushed himself down in a quick check for presentability. 

 

“Shii-chan, it can’t be that bad. Look, I’ll accompany you there, alright?”

 

Yahaba nodded as they fell into quick steps towards his father’s study. Upon reaching the door, Oikawa gave his shoulder a light squeeze, then stepped back to lean smoothly on the nearby wall. Yahaba stared at the door, then took a deep breath in, and out, and set his jaw. He knocked on the door.

 

It couldn’t be that bad, right?

 

Right?

 

~*~*~*~*~ 

 

Saying the King was angry would be an incredible understatement. 

 

“Yahaba Shigeru.” The King was seething, his eyes narrowed at the figure before him. “This has gone too far — it’s beyond a child’s tantrum! Kyoutani is still your husband, whether you like it or not. Your attitude towards him is inexcusable! I taught you from young to be nice to everyone, regardless of who they are and where they’re from. This isn’t how I brought you up. This isn’t how  _ we _ brought you up. You’ve always been able to do that, so why should this be any different?” Yahaba glared stubbornly at the ground, remaining silent. With a sigh, the King’s eyes softened, his voice returning to a softer tone. “I know it’s my fault for forcing an arranged marriage, but we need to maintain the relationship between neighbouring countries, and this was the only way.”

 

Yahaba faltered, his firm stance loosening, defiance momentarily forgotten. He tried to speak, but his voice betrayed him with a slight tremble. “I-It’s not your fault. I know we have to do this. It’s just-” He found it hard to continue; the King, no, his father rarely showed any weakness. For ten years he had only been the King, everything decided based on his position as the King and for the Kingdom, never for him. Kind, but not compassionate. For him to mention  _ her _ after so many years…

 

Hesitantly, he took a step forward, followed by a few more, until he stood in front of the King. Both standing facing each other, Yahaba was easily a head taller than him, having to look down before he could meet the King’s eyes. At such a close distance, he could see fine wrinkles lining the King’s face, the faint hint of white hair hidden among silver strands of hair much like his own. He had aged so much while Yahaba hadn’t even realised, caught up with his own emotions. When was the last time he had had a good look at him?

 

The King offered a gentle smile, placing a calloused hand on his jaw and thumbing Yahaba’s cheeks gently. Surged with sudden overwhelming emotions, Yahaba closed the remaining distance and tugged the King into an embrace. The King stiffened instinctively, but slowly relaxed into the hug, bringing his arms around Yahaba’s waist, patting his back soothingly. “I’m sorry for not being with you when your mother died,” the King whispered. 

 

“No, I’m sorry for not being the son you deserve.”

 

“Well, you can make it up to me by finding Kyoutani. He left a note and went off alone, since a certain someone insisted against bringing him around yesterday,” the King replied, a playful upturn of the corner of his lips sent Yahaba’s way as they moved away from the hug. He gave another pat on Yahaba’s shoulder, before turning around and grabbing a written note off his table, passing it to Yahaba. “He’s not used to being outside, and even more unfamiliar with our Kingdom. You should go find him before he disappears before your sight. He’s a nice guy, you know. Just a little reclusive. Well, he’s trying, so at least try to get to know him, okay?” 

 

“Yes, Father.”

 

“You are excused.” 

 

Yahaba turned around to leave, but not before catching a glimpse of a impish wink. 

 

~*~*~*~

 

“So, what trouble did you get into this time?”

 

Oikawa was still leaning against the wall opposite the door, looking up from his casual inspection of his nails. Such a freak. 

 

“Had somewhat of a heart to heart talk for the first time in ten years, I guess?”

 

The taunting smile faded into a soft one, with Oikawa moving to stand beside him, bumping their shoulders together as a silent question when he noticed the note in his hand. 

 

“Gotta search for the husband in town. He snuck out alone because I said I wouldn’t go with him and is probably lost now.”

 

“Ahhhh, how troublesome, huh?”

 

“It’s my fault though, I guess,” Yahaba shrugged, looking away so he didn’t need to see Oikawa’s smug I-told-you-so look. 

 

“Not gonna say I’m right, but I’m always right. Go get ‘em boy!”

 

“Yeah, I will.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

As he travelled, many villagers came over to greet him. He made polite but quick conversation, asking if they had seen Kyoutani around, but nobody had. By the end of the day, he was sure he had met majority of the villagers, yet he still hadn’t found anyone who had seen Kyoutani.

 

_ He must really blend in with the crowd. I really hope he’s not lost… _

 

The sun was setting. He was about to give up and return to the palace and send a large group of soldiers to find him instead, but decided to visit his favourite breadshop before he left, and maybe get an extra from Kyoutani as a form of apology. But at that moment he spotted familiar blond hair illuminated with a golden shine. He was sitting on the field, with a few children beside him, watching the sunset. His back was facing Yahaba, but with two black stripes in his hair, it was hard to mistake him for anyone else. As he stepped closer, he noticed, with a little bewilderment and a little (only a little) excitement, that a crown of wild flowers sat neatly on his head. It was made a little clumsily, twines of the stems still sticking out in some places, the flowers spaced out unevenly. Yet that only made it a very adorable sight to behold (although Yahaba swore that he would never mention that,  _ ever _ , to Kyoutani, or anyone, for that matter). 

 

Kyoutani was usually attentive to his surroundings, and always seemed to notice whenever Yahaba was even remotely nearby, seemingly able to detect his whereabouts easily. Yet although Yahaba was barely a few steps behind him now, Kyoutani didn’t seem to have noticed. At such a close distance, Yahaba noted that Kyoutani sat hugging his knees, curled up in an abnormally tight ball unusual for a guy of such large stature. From his angle, Kyoutani’s eyes shone an even brighter golden than his hair, focused solely on the sunset before him. His eyes filled with emotions Yahaba found hard to identify. 

 

Sadness? Longing? 

 

_ Is he missing home? _

 

It  _ had _ been a month since they were married after all; one month of Kyoutani trying to court him, if he could put it that way. One month of Yahaba giving him the cold shoulder. One month of being away from home. 

 

Surely anyone would at least feel homesick after leaving their home for such a long period of time. Yahaba tried imagining being made to leave Althein to Perauf to stay for a month, without his cousin Oikawa, the familiar food the cooks made, the villagers he visited and chatted with often. He would definitely miss them. Begrudgingly, he admitted that even not seeing and bickering with his father would probably leave him a little empty. Not forgetting the Perauf people that he would have to deal with. And the Perauf King.

 

The thought sent shivers down his spine.

 

It felt momentarily upsetting even in his mind; wouldn’t it be even worse for Kyoutani, who had to experience it for real?

 

Yahaba felt guilty for his own actions. Being prejudiced about Peraufians was one thing, but giving a cold shoulder to someone who was nothing but sugar, spices and everything nice (not to forget all the flowers he got from Kyoutani) caused a heavy rock to sink in his chest. Never calling Kyoutani by name, shortening their conversation with one-worded replies, he was being unfair through and through, holding no consideration for the other’s feelings at all. His “childish tantrums”, as his father had put it, might have really been taken too far.

 

Yahaba wanted to apologise. But he didn’t know how. The last time he had sincerely uttered an apology was too many years ago. He wanted to be sincere, but an apology that he hadn’t made in years seem too hard to form for someone he still didn’t know. 

 

The sun sunk lower into the horizon, forming beautiful gradients of orange to pink to an interesting shade of purple in the sky. Kyoutani, still void of movement and curled up in the same position, stared thoughtfully outwards. Yahaba’s heart clenched at the thought of what Kyoutani could possibly be feeling. In a spur of the moment, he came up with the best apology he could give. 

 

“Kentarou.”

 

The blond turned around, noticing the other’s presence for the first time, face a mask of confusion and surprise. He was promptly swarmed with the children beside Kyoutani, all excited to see the prince again.  _ They must have kept him company throughout the day _ , he thought warmly, kneeling down to wrap them in a tight hug and chuckle to himself.  _ Replaced by children, huh. _

 

“Let’s go back, okay?”

 

“Back?” Tanaka asked curiously.

 

“I’ll be taking Kentarou Onii-chan back now, okay?”

 

“Ehhhhh, you know Onii-chan, Yahaba-sama? You’re both leaving? Stay with us and play!”

 

“Next time, alright?” Ruffling their hair gently, he gave them a last squeeze before standing back up, his eyes travelling back to Kyoutani. The latter sat shellshocked while watching him carefully, somewhat wary about what he was seeing. Yahaba couldn’t blame him. After the way he had treated him, anything he did would probably be a surprise for Kyoutani. Hopefully, this would make up for what he had done, for now. 

 

“C’mon, Kentarou.”

 

He offered his hand, hoping Kyoutani wouldn’t reject the simple gesture. They were a married couple after all, whether the others knew or not; being rejected would definitely make him feel embarrassed. Kyoutani was dazed, and hesitant at first. 

 

Yahaba waited. 

 

Eyes clearing in understanding, his husband gingerly reached out to his outstretched hand and took it, allowing himself to be pulled up by Yahaba. The edge of Yahaba’s lips hitched up unconsciously. 

 

With a last goodbye, Yahaba dragged Kyoutani back to the palace, weaving through familiar paths, hand in hand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Give me a prompt on [my writing tumblr blog](blowingdriftingbubbles.tumblr.com/ask)  
> or hmu on [my main blog](bunnydesuuu.tumblr.com)  
> I’m also on [twitter](bunnydesuuu.tumblr.com)
> 
> Yahaba just went through some emotional rollercoaster, so cut him some slack, ok? ಥ-ಥ


	4. Notes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoutani woke up in his bed and gave us some hints of his past. He courted, and then got courted ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: “Alpha”, “Beta”, and “Omega” in this fic refer to the wolf forms similar to those in Teen Wolf and are NOT related to the ABO mating/heat terms.
> 
> (I headcanon that Yahaba has silver hair. Sue me.)
> 
> Hello everyone! It’s been, what, a million years (1 year ㅇㅅㅇ ) since this was last updated? This chapter had been sitting in my computer half completed for as long, really, but finding the time to edit or think about it was really really tough. Well, it has been a year, so some things might not really link because it has been ages since I last wrote for this fic (or wrote at all, really). I checked as much as I can, but if you see anything weird do tell me!
> 
> I can’t promise regular updates, but this fic will definitely be completed eventually. The next year will be a crucial year for my studies, so I pretty much won’t be updating this for quite a while. It is my holiday now though, so if I can squeeze some time you might get a surprise (a girl can dream). Kyouhaba is my love, so I swear (cross my heart) this fic will not be abandoned!!!
> 
> As always, do subscribe to this fic or me (heehee) to get notified when I do update :)
> 
> Meanwhile, you can visit my other Kyouhaba work here or my recent other ongoing daisuga fic [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11482164/chapters/25751094) of which I will be updating soon. 
> 
> Early Christmas gift for you guys. Merry Christmas everyone \\( ´ ▽ ` )/
> 
> Fic beta-ed by my babe

_ “Why can’t I see my friends, Daddy?” The little boy cried, his small hands balled tightly into fists. _

_ “Because you are an Omega, Kentarou. If others know, they will look down on us. You will remain in the palace from now on, to keep you safe. Be a good boy, Kentarou.” His face void of emotion, revealing no care of the subject matter other than a mere message. No compassion in his words, just an instruction he expected Kyoutani to follow. Kyoutani didn’t understand what it meant then, stuck with muddled understanding and reluctant acceptance. What could an eight year old understand about ranks and power anyway? _

_ Days, months, years went past. Seasons changed, leaves fell and grew. Warmer, colder. Warmer, colder. The young boy curled up on an oversized armchair by the window. The view caged by the intricately designed gold window frame morphed from hues of green to orange, then to pristine white. The bright warm sunlight, the cold, quiet moonlight; the boy watched but did not feel.  _

_ Ah. Fireworks. The streets below lit up with colourful flashes of light in the sky as the slow-moving crowd gazed up to view the special festivity. A family of three walked past hand in hand, a line of guards trailing behind them. A couple, with a child in between the two of them, swinging their linked arms cheerfully. As they walked further and further away, the child turned back once, paused and stared right at the window where the boy sat, before turning back, his arms tugged by the couple. Within moments, they disappeared into the crowd of bright lights.  _

~*~*~

Kyoutani woke up slowly, blinking away the blurred image of the end of the lingering dream, to face the growingly familiar silver-painted ceiling lit by the morning glow. The last flicker of images left him a little disorientated; he hadn’t dreamt of that in a while. When was the last time? A month ago? When he was still in Perauf, maybe? Unsurprising, considering it wasn’t a dream, but a memory of him in his own room, where he used to sleep. He wasn’t in Perauf anymore, so why had he dreamt about  _ that _ again?

Had it been triggered by  _ his _ name, this time?

Kyoutani closed his eyes, pushing all those thoughts and memories away. He didn’t live in Perauf anymore — his duty was here, in Althien. As the Prince’s husband. 

Right. 

Opening his eyes again, he pushed the covers off and hopped out of bed. How had he gotten back anyway? The last he remembered, he was with the other Althien children, watching the sunset. Kyoutani ran his hand through his messy bed hair, trying to remember. Glancing around his room, his eyes stopped on a small piece of light purple paper, held down at the corner by the flower crown from yesterday. As he stepped closer, he saw a note written in neat cursive: 

_ Your crown. You looked pretty yesterday. _

_ – Shigeru _

He recalled then, the waft of lavender from silver hair as a warm hand led him back to the palace. So it was the Prince who had found him. Kyoutani felt heat rising to his cheeks as his mind helpfully conjured up the memory of firm, delicate fingers interlaced with his, bringing warmth to his cold, stiff hands.  _ ‘You looked pretty _ ’, the note had said. Skin crawling with embarrassment, he dropped to the ground to hug his knees, hiding his face behind them as if to protect himself from the praise. However, his actions were in vain as the words rang in his mind over and over again.

He had read those words before. Long days of being stuck in the palace had left him with nothing better to do than to visit the palace library to pass some time, when watching people pass from his window got too boring. He’d seen them in romance novels, Princes complementing princesses with those words as the start of their courting ritual. Could this be the same, perhaps? 

_ No, no no no. You’re not a princess, Kyoutani. You’re a Prince. A grumpy, cold prince, apparently. And you’re married, at that. Nobody wants to court you. _

_ You’re courting Yahaba though. _

Kyoutani shook his head vigorously, trying to push away all his thoughts. This wasn’t something he should be thinking, or get shy about. He didn’t need the shy maiden part of his brain to get through the day. Not at all. 

His brain unhelpfully reminded him of his dream. “An Omega,” his father had called him.  _ A disgrace to the royal family _ , it meant. 

His father and older brother were Alphas, the strongest form of Peraufians, as was most of the royal lineage. His mother was a Beta, but that didn’t matter for she was a woman, and would not be required to fight in times of war. But Kings were chosen based on their power among the royal family. 

Alphas, unlike Betas and Omegas, had not only the beta shift, but also the full shift into their animal form. Though technically a dog, their size could rival that of a large wolf. Thus, Peraufians were sometimes called werewolves. Alphas also had the greatest authority over Betas and Omegas, and stronger Alphas, like those from the Royal lineage, could hold enough power to command an army. The Alphas were, therefore, the strongest. Omegas were often commoners; mere soldiers at the frontline with just enough power to change to their beta form, but much smaller and weaker. 

As he grew older, Kyoutani understood that his father was embarrassed by him. Never before had an Omega been born into the royal family. Everyone was strong and powerful, blessed with the powers to lead, and fight for their nation. 

_ Not me _ , he thought.  _ I’m cursed and useless. _

He pushed that thought away. Even though he was an Omega, he was still a prince. He still had a duty — to establish peace.  _ So I’m still of use _ , he tried to comfort himself. Plus, Yahaba had written him a note, albeit one with an extremely brief message. It was a compliment; Kyoutani would take what he could get willingly. 

He thumbed the edge of the letter, contemplating what he should do. After much thought, he decided that he should at least thank him for taking the trouble to bring him back, if not for anything else. He was quite lost at that time, after all. 

He went out of his room looking for breakfast while brainstorming. Chef struck up a casual conversation, asking him where he had gone yesterday. He told Chef the whole story, the exploring, helping the old man, the bread shop near the end of the market and the sunset. With amusement in his eyes, Chef remarked that the bread shop, Crow’s Bread, was actually one of Yahaba’s favourite shops. At that moment, an idea struck him. Kyoutani asked Chef for Yahaba’s favourite bread, then set out again to the village — but this time, with a guard that he requested, so that he wouldn’t get lost again. 

“Ah, young love,” Chef sighed wistfully.

~*~*~*~

Yahaba thought about him during the wee hours of the night, when he was tossing and turning, unable to sleep. He thought about him when he woke up, when he was eating his breakfast, and he thought about him while he was reading through letters from neighbouring kingdoms to equip himself with the latest intel. He was distracted every few minutes with the thought of the warm hand that held his own just the day before, along with a young, child-like innocence accompanied with a crown of small flowers and golden eyes staring at him.

He sighed, placing the letter he was failing to read back on his desk, fingers tapping subconsciously on the desktop with an unsteady rhythm. Forming replies for congratulatory letters on his marriage was the last thing on his mind.

His mind was drifting far, far away. Kyoutani had seemed really surprised when he had called out to him yesterday, more so than simply being surprised that he had even shown up, but something else he couldn't really seem to put his finger on. Even the offer of his hand to pull him up made Kyoutani give a face as if he had just seen an alien. Was Perauf such a closed-off kingdom that didn’t even offer their own companions a hand when needed? 

He thought back a little further, remembering his Father’s offhand comment. What had he meant when he said that Kyoutani was not used to being outside? Had he meant that Kyoutani was not used to being in their kingdom, or had he meant being  _ out _ in general? And about him being reclusive? How could that be possible, when he was a prince? Surely he would at least be used to going out for social events with his father? But Kyoutani did seem unused to interacting with him, practically socially awkward; Yahaba had always brushed it off as him trying too hard to please him, to improve this ‘relationship’ that they had in order to strengthen their ties with the Perauf Kingdom. 

The questions swirled around in his head, giving him a slight headache. Nothing seemed to make sense, or at least not from what he knew. 

He decided to give himself a break, to go get lunch. But when he opened his door, he almost tripped over a small basket placed strategically at the side of his study room. Regaining his balance, he peered into the basket only to see his favourite sandwich from Crow’s Bread, a bread shop he frequented whenever he was out in the village.  _ The same one that Kyoutani had been yesterday _ , his brain supplied. Together with some fruits, a crown of purple wildflowers lay in the basket, the faint whiff of lavender scent laced with a telltale sign that magic had been used. Upon closer inspection, he found a letter tucked underneath the sandwich and pulled it out curiously to figure out the sender. Surely his servant wouldn’t just leave a basket of food outside his room?  

The paper reflected small flakes of silver patterns under the hall lights, a messy scribble in the middle:

_ Thank you for bringing me back yesterday.  _

_ Hope you like the gifts.  _

_ – Kentarou _

He slotted the letter carefully back into the basket and picked up the flower crown next, tracing the careful twist of the stems, bringing it close to his face and sniffed. The faint lavender smell washed what little tension he had left in his shoulders, his worries momentarily forgotten. Holding the crown carefully in his hand, he reached up and placed it squarely on his head, realising with delight that it fit perfectly around the crown of his head. Then, he grabbed the basket from the floor and moved to the dining room.

If anyone saw the slight skip in his steps or the widening grin spreading on his face, nobody mentioned it, leaving him to his own devices. 

With his worries eased from the gifts and letter, he finished running through his work of skimming through and replying to the official letters quickly. Finally, he picked up another piece of parchment, once again with the same purple tint. He stared at it for eons, scrunching up his face in thought, tightening his grip on his pen trying to figure out what he could possibly write back. When he eventually came to a conclusion, he centralized his message, and wrote it down in the same neat cursive he always used, signing off with his name. As an afterthought, he added a small flower behind his name, changing the ink to a shining golden colour with a quick wave of his fingers. 

Dropping his pen, he hoped the letter would lessen the restless guilt he had felt since talking to his Father about Kyoutani’s feelings.

With his work done and reply written, he went out of his study in search for Yamaguchi to pass the note to Kyoutani. Passing by his garden, he noticed (his heart skipping a beat, which he ignored) Kyoutani dozing off on the small tabletop at the pavilion, cheek resting on his forearm, face tilted to one side. With his face lacking his constantly furrowed eyebrows and frown lines, Kyoutani displayed a peaceful expression that Yahaba had never seen before.

Having forgotten about how his magic shouldn’t have let anyone in his garden, Yahaba sat down at a nearby seat just watching his husband breath deeply in his sleep, small occasional huffs of breaths escaping his lips every exhale, relaxing further. Gone were the shoulders high strung with tension.  

Eventually, when he felt that he was being a little too creepy staring at someone sleep, he slid his letter cautiously under Kyoutani’s arms and slipped away to the comfort of his own room.

When a drowsy Kyoutani woke up to find an unfamiliar texture under his fingertips, he felt the faintest hint of a smile ghosting the edge of his lips, and the promise of continued correspondence held in his hands.

_ You’re welcome, Kentarou. In the future, you can just pass your letters or anything else to Yamaguchi. He can help pass it to me, if you want. Thank you for the flower crown and the sandwich, they’re my favourite. What’s your favourite food? _

_ – Shigeru ✿ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kyoutani is such a maiden at heart someone please save him. Meanwhile, Yahaba is kind of reaaaally slow, but you know, he’ll get there. Eventually.
> 
> Give me a prompt on [my writing tumblr blog](https://blowingdriftingbubbles.tumblr.com/ask)  
> or hmu on [my main blog](https://bunnydesuuu.tumblr.com)  
> I’m also on [twitter](https://bunnydesuuu.tumblr.com)


End file.
